Date Watched: September 10, 2011
Source: Netflix Instant Play
Set in 1970s apartheid-era South Africa, this movie is quite a gem. It’s hard to imagine how a time so violent and so full of hatred — specifically the 1976 student uprising in Soweto — can be set to music, and from what I understand, this movie has been criticized quite a bit for doing so. But Africa’s culture is so full of music, there’s no other way it could have been done. Mbongeni Ngema writes an addictive, inspiring, empowering, and timeless score. Whoopi, although the biggest on the cover, isn’t the star. Even Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina), who appears behind her on the cover and delivers an outstanding performance, isn’t the star. The star truly is Negema’s music. It speaks louder than any scripted words could.
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